James Mattis, Retired General, Decides Against Independent Presidential Bid

James N. Mattis, the retired Marine Corps general who was wooed by conservative leaders for a possible independent presidential candidacy, has ruled out a bid for the White House in 2016.

Two allies of Mr. Mattis sent emails to associates on Friday notifying them that the retired general had closed the door on a campaign. William Kristol, editor of the conservative Weekly Standard magazine, said Mr. Mattis had decided “after much consideration” not to proceed.

“The thoughtfulness and patriotism — and for that matter, the modesty — Jim showed as he reflected on this decision make me more convinced than ever that he would have made a truly admirable president, and also a good candidate,” Mr. Kristol wrote. “But it’s not to be. So we won’t have a President Mattis.”

Joel Searby, a Republican strategist involved in laying the groundwork for a potential Mattis campaign, wrote in a separate email that Mr. Mattis had “decided definitively not to pursue a run for president.”

Mr. Mattis, a figure of great stature in military circles, never publicly indicated an interest in running for president. But as Donald J. Trump became a more formidable front-runner in the presidential race, a collection of Republicans opposed to his candidacy began to suggest Mr. Mattis as an alternative in the general election.

In private, Mr. Mattis, 65, was receptive to political overtures: During a visit to Washington last Friday, he met with a small group of strategists supportive of his entry into the race and discussed the election, according to people familiar with the meeting, who spoke on condition of anonymity about the private session.

But that session did not give rise to a campaign. Mr. Kristol said in his message that he received an email from Mr. Mattis on Thursday, saying that he would not be a candidate in 2016.

Any independent candidate would face formidable hurdles – both logistical and financial – in entering the presidential race at this late stage. But in his email on Friday confirming that Mr. Mattis would not run, Mr. Kristol said he would continue to press for a third candidate in a general election.

“Of course,” he wrote, “the fight to help the country do better than a choice between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton goes on.”